The Ultimate OptinMonster Review
A strong email list can be a big driver for your future sales. Optinmonster helps you build your email list and build it fast. But is it worth your money?
by Ryan Sullivan
Does WordPress need another premium opt-in form plugin? Syed from WP Beginner and Thomas Griffin, creator of the super-popular Soliloquy slider plugin seems to think so and has entered the already busy marketplace with OptinMonster. We had a chance to take it for a spin, and you can see our more than comprehensive OptinMonster Review below.
The Ultimate OptinMonster Review
This lead generation plugin was released in 2013 and has received regular updates to the point that it’s not only a WordPress plugin, it also integrates with platforms like Hubspot, SalesForce, Shopify, and Hubspot too. It’s a full-blown SaaS platform and has matured incredibly over the last several years.
As we’ve shown with past reviews, 300 words just doesn’t cut it on the SiteCare blog. We’re going deep with this review to see how this new venture stacks up against other offerings. Its sole purpose is to help you build that email list and build it fast. Because as we know, a strong email list can be a big driver for your future sales. And you like sales. I can tell you do.
But is it worth your money and does it bring anything new to the table?
Features and Usage
OptinMonster uses opt-in forms in an attempt to turn your readers and visitors into subscribers. OptinMonster provides out-of-the-box integration with the most popular email marketing services which make the setup process very simple. The sales page of the plugin boasts a 60 second setup time and I can accept that. You will want to spend more on customizing and creating the forms in order for them to fit in with your site and your content.
But Everybody Hates Popups, Right?
Many bloggers and user experience commentators throw down and discount popups in a hurry. We hate them, right? Of course, we hate them, but the reality is that for the casual browser of the web, they work. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked over my dad’s shoulder while he’s browsing the web and seen him give his email address away. He drops that thing like it’s his special way to make new friends.
While we may hate them, they are still amazingly effective at capturing email addresses. In one case study, admittedly from the creators of OptinMonster, the plugin increased email subscribers by 600%, going from 70-80 new subscribers a day, to around 445 to 470.
This collection of popup case studies cites numbers anywhere from 200% to over 1000% increase in optin rates when a popup is used.
Feature List
The plugin features are spread across three different pricing plans (more on those later). A quick overview of those features is as follows:
- Create unlimited forms for use on different parts of your site
- Over 8 different campaign types to choose from
- Built-in analytics and reporting: see which type of form is converting best
- A/B testing: test different forms against each other to see which styles work best on your site
- Page-level targeting: show certain forms on specific pages
- Geo-Location targeting
- Integrations with dozens of third-party marketing platforms
- Streamlined drag and drop form builder
- Optin types: a range of different design options available depending on the price plan
Perhaps the most important feature of this plugin and what separates it from the competition is the ‘exit intent’ technology. OptinMonster claims that ‘70% of site visitors who abandon your site never return’. With the premium-priced exit intent feature, the service will detect when a user is about to leave your site, and then launch the popup opt-in window.
This is a great feature to have because you can set the plugin to only show the signup form when a user is about to leave your site. People who are enjoying your content can just keep on enjoying it without disruptions, only those who are leaving will get the popup treatment. Of course, you still run the risk of annoying the deserters, but they were already leaving, and with 70% never coming back again, they’re fair game, right?
The exit-intent technology is billed as being able to ‘detect visitor behavior and prompt them with a targeted campaign at the precise moment they are about to leave. The first thing I did after reading that was put on my tinfoil hat and check my office for bugs. That level of artificial intelligence seemed extremely sophisticated for a WordPress Plugin.
However, upon closer inspection, instead of using some type of magical netbot to track my movements, it looks like the plugin detects when your mouse cursor leaves the page area of the browser and then fires up the popup. While this isn’t quite the same level of mind reading I envisioned, it is a pretty good indicator of when someone is about to leave your site.
If you choose not to upgrade to the premium exit-intent technology, or just not use it on your site, the alternative is to display the form instantly or after a delay of an interval of your choosing, which is more or less par for the course.
OptinMonster Setup
Setting up the plugin is very easy. Like, crazy easy. The first thing you do is create a new campaign.
To get started with OptinMonster, the first step is to click on the ‘Create Campaign’ button. From there it’s a case of selecting the optin type from the available options.
Choose a Campaign Type
As of writing this, there are 8 different campaign types to choose from when selecting your first campaign. Choose from Lightbox Popup, Full Screen Welcome Mat, Fade-in Scroll Box, Floating Bar, Countdown Timer, Sidebar Forms, Inline Forms, and Content Locker.
The floating bar type displays a horizontal bar across the full width of the browser window with space for a title caption and a sign-up form.
The slide-in type is an opt-in form that sits in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen and can be opened by the user to display your opt-in form and custom message. When closed, it displays a customized message of your creation and an expand button.
It’s not an auto-slide or popup as you might have seen on some other sites or plugins and is one that has to be activated and opened by the visitor. At least that’s the behavior we experienced in our testing.
For every optin type, there are multiple themes to choose from that allow for lots of customization options.
- Form and button colors
- Adding/rearranging content blocks
- Text fonts, size, formatting, and colors
- Button text
The ability to format individual words such as making them bold, or add your own HTML or page breaks isn’t available so you can’t get too creative with the formatting of your sales content or calls to action.
Moving on…
The settings are well labeled with useful descriptions so there’s no need for me to go through each of the options. A recently added feature is the ability to redirect the user after they have opted in.
This is a nice feature as you can display a thank you page that with a picture of cats, or your Facebook fan page. Or your cat’s Facebook fan page. Whatever the case, you have the flexibility to send new subscribers wherever you want after sign up.
At the configuration stage, you’re required to enter your email provider settings. The plugin seamlessly integrates with popular email marketing services such as AWeber, MailChimp, iContact, and Infusionsoft. It also has native integrations with marketing tools like Drip, Hubspot, Salesforce, and many more.
If you are using one of the supported third-party services, then it’s simply a case of choosing your provider from the drop-down menu and authenticating your account, and then selecting an appropriate list to add your subscribers to.
As you can create unlimited forms for a single site, and specify which pages those forms are going to be shown on, you can easily add your readers to different email lists, depending on what page on your site they signed up.
Use Display Rules to configure when and where to show each of the forms you have on your website. This is a great feature to have if your site covers multiple topics and you want to segment your list of subscribers for laser targeted optimization.
Once you’ve set up your integration and display rules, you can design the opt-ins using a number of pre-built themes, or can completely customize your own. The themes are modern and attractive. Each element within the themes can be customized to match your website’s branding.
Unfortunately, the plugin doesn’t write your copy for you, so you’ll need to do a little writing.
For most of the themes, the following content can be included:
- Title and Tagline
- Bullet List
- Optin Image
- Email Field Text
- Optin Submit Text
While the whole setup process can be walked through in 60 seconds as claimed, for your campaign to be effective, it will require additional thought and in most cases, supporting graphics.
Other Features
As mentioned, OptinMonster comes with built-in analytics for tracking the number of times your forms were shown and how many signups they’ve achieved. The dates can be filtered using popular date periods such as today, this week, and this year.
This makes testing and setting up the forms much easier as you can get an instant overview of whether signups are successfully being registered.
A/B testing is covered by the ability to create another version of an existing opt-in. It takes just one click to create a clone and then it can be modified in any way to allow you to determine which form elements your readers respond better to.
It is true A/B testing because there’s no way to split test more than two versions of a form against each other. However, you could use different types of forms on your site and specify which pages to use them on, effectively allowing multiple forms to run, before deciding which is the most effective type for your site. Want a unique form for every post on your site? OptinMonster can handle that (although it’s probably not a recommended use case).
Pricing
There are four pricing options for OptinMonster as are follows:
- Basic: $9/month – (1 site, unlimited leads, and integrations, no Exit-Intent)
- Plus: $19/month – (3 sites, A/B Testing, Social Media and eCommerce Popups, Exit-Intent)
- Pro: $29/month – (5 sites and unlimited sub-accounts, OnSite Retargeting, and Follow-up Campaigns)
- Growth: $49/month – (10 sites and unlimited sub-accounts, advanced reporting, and premium support)
All pricing options include ongoing support and updates. For full details of the plans visit the OptinMonster website.
There’s also a 100% no-risk 30-day money-back guarantee. Using this you could sign up, and then ask for a refund if you don’t see an increase in subscriber conversions, but I have a feeling that you will.
Conclusion
OptinMonster is very easy to use and it can be up and running on a WordPress site in next to no time. The options are all self-explanatory or clearly explained during the setup process. It’s by far the most intuitive conversion plugin I’ve ever used. They’ve gone out of their way to nail down the user experience.
If you are only looking for a lightbox option for capturing email addresses then this plugin is a good choice. The exit-intent functionality that detects when a user is about to leave your page is a feature that I haven’t seen with any other WordPress plugins and one that clearly makes it stand out in a crowded marketplace.
OptinMonster has full support for mobile forms and can render them beautifully on pretty much any mobile device.
The exit-intent functionality is the key selling point of this service, which makes it a not in-expensive option if you want the full feature set. When you look at the competition in the opt-in plugin market, it’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend OptinMonster compared to something with a lower price tag like Ninja Popups if you’re looking at the plugin by itself.
However, in my mind, that isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. When it comes to ease of use, ongoing support, and overall quality of build, nothing else on the market compares to OptinMonster. This isn’t a plugin from a shady marketing group that outsourced a one-time build to eLance in order to make a quick buck and has no plans for ongoing development and support.
It’s quite the opposite. This plugin is in very active development and promises more features to come in the immediate future. So while the Pro version may seem steep now, it comes with assurances of the plugin getting better and better as time goes on. We’ve already seen that first hand in the first month.
If you value quality, innovative technology like exit intent, and a user experience that isn’t matched anywhere else on the market, then OptinMonster an investment worth making, especially considering building your email list is ultimately an investment in your business.
Note: This review does contain affiliate links, but only because this product is legit and we recommend it. We purchased the plugin with our own cash money.
Ryan, awesome review, very thorough!
One thing I didn’t like about the plugin was how the ‘exit intent’ activated when moving the cursor to the scroll bar. But still, a much more affordable alternative to Bounce Exchange…
Thanks Aaron! And just so you know, the exit intent behavior is 100% optional. You can turn it off if you don’t want to use it. Thanks again for stopping by.
Great write up. I’m on the fence on this one. Half of me wants to buy it but the other half doesn’t…
my thing is I’ve got my webguys who can’t seem to install optin monster…not sure if it’s because I quit paying them 200/month for their plugin or if their complaint of a ‘bug’ issues exists…Trying to get a ‘live’ person with optin monster is impossible ..wish there was someone in ‘the know’ that could install this for me..yes they would be paid…if anyone with the know how can…contact me…
[email protected]
thanks
Hi Kevin,
We do this type of setup all the time. If you’d like to submit a request to https://sitecare.com/contact we’ll be happy to look into it for you.
Thanks
I paid $199 for OPTINMONSTER just to discover that its worse than NINJA POPUPS. Less templates, less options, more bugs! NINJA POPUPS costs only $22 and is A LOT BETTER.
I use Optinmonster and it works perfectly. The latest release has more templates, more options and I’ve never found it to be buggy. Also very easy to set up. Sounds like you’re talking about a different tool than what I’m using!
I tried Ninja Popups and it was the cheapest, paid $24 at Code Canyon, easy to install and loved it at first, but I can’t work on my WP site while it is activated. I use Ultimatum for a framework, which works great with everything, but not this plugin. What it does is forces me to constantly refresh my site while I’m working on it and it takes several additional clicks and some of the changes I made to my site do not save while Ninja is activated. It could be me, I’m a newbie WP designer, but I’m going to give Optinmonster a try next. I cannot get my money back for my Code Canyon purchase, but Optinmonster has a 14 day guarantee, so it’s less risk. Now that I know the issues I experienced with Ninja, I can test it and see what I think. Plus, I know Syed Balkhi wouldn’t keep anyone’s money if they weren’t happy. I met him at WordCamp and he’s a fair guy.
YO BRO. You’re spamming now. You’re free to express your opinions, but replying to everyone is spam.
I can’t get the darn thing to work. I use the genesis framework, the aweber won’t authorize and when it does I am missing some of my list…..smh
That’s too bad, Jay. Have you reached out to their support yet? They’re usually pretty good at troubleshooting that type of stuff.
A few emails back and forth, then I never heard from them again. I really like the slick feature, so I’m being patient, but goodness…smh
You should contact Syed Balkhi @syedbalkhi and I’ll bet he will help you. He’s one of the owners of WP Beginner and Optinmonster and is a super helpful guy. I’m using Ninjapopup right now, but disabled it due to problems. It requires so much refreshing that I can’t work on my site. I use Mailpoet, which Ninjapopup does integrate well with, but I recently asked Syed if Optinmonster would work with Mailpoet and he said yes. Mailpoet is not listed in this blog nor their web site. I use Ultimatum Theme Framework and never have any issues, but Ninja is not working out for me so I’m seeking something else. I hate wasting money and am concerned about trying Optinmonster until I’m sure it will work with Ultimatum framework and Mailpoet for my subscription management. Thanks Y’all
Ryan,
Well done article and I really appreciate the in-depth info here and it’s something I’ve been working on for too long, but it doesn’t appear you are using Optinmonster. Are you?
It would seem like a tall claim. But have you guys tried out ICEGRAM ? It’s an all in one WP plugin that’s creating waves. It not only does popups but also action bars, notifications & messengers.
Hmm, the price? Well its free. So no risk at all. It has got loads of good reviews you could bank on. Do check it out at http://www.icegram.com
I haven’t purchased OptinMonster yet but wanted to thank you for the thorough review.
When it comes to product reviews there is so much noise out there. You seemed to cut through it all. Although you sort of threw off my conviction of OptinMonster with the mention of Ninja Popups.
Again thanks, I look forward to coming back to your site in the near future.
Awesome, glad the review was helpful to you Dwayne! Let us know if you have any questions that we can help out with in the future.
I feel Icegram is the best,i have tried out many different plugins and Icegram stands above all,its
the best plugin there is,Its an All-in-one: Popups, header / footer
bars, notifications, messengers which is absolutely free
check it out yourself
Hey guys. Just wanted to let you know that OptinMonster has updated recently to a SaaS platform, and also that we have rolled out a variety of new features over the past view months, including optins for Mobile!
http://optinmonster.com/
Specifically here: http://optinmonster.com/features/
– Kevin Gates, member of the OptinMonster team. 🙂
Thanks Kevin. We’ll have to look at updating this now that’s it’s had a big overhaul 🙂
OptinMonster is a terrible service. If you purchase a subscription, don’t expect that you can get a refund, because you can’t. OptinMonster used to be a good service, but recent changes have made it more difficult to use in WordPress. They’ve failed to keep up with the competition. There are far better alternatives available than OptinMonster.
Agreed. I’ve had a terrible time with their customer support.
Robert & Aaron — I’m highly considering going with OptinMonster for my site because the other plugins I’ve looked at — mainly, Bloom by ElegantThemes — are not the best. They load a ridiculous amount of javascript, the CSS is poorly coded and REALLY hard to override…
Would you mind sharing what some of the better alternatives (in your opinion) are? I’d love to get this right with my first go-around, if possible. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing such a detailed review of optinmonster. Although there are many such email optins available, but this is the best and cheapest email list builder.
Nice article, very helpful!
I would prefer one-time payment option, I’m a newbie, deciding between Ninja Popup & Convertplug, any recommendations?
Such a great review, i m going to try this but i have a question, if i already have an email list on mail chimp then can i import it to optinmonster?